Seoul

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Don’t go around asking where you can find ‘Korean barbecue,’—no one in Seoul will know what you’re talking about. Instead, ask for a meat restaurant that cooks pork or beef at the table using gas or charcoal. Soju, Korea’s national spirit, is the traditional accompaniment for meat dinners. Most restaurants fall into the moderate range, with entrees averaging around $17.

Top Restaurants in Seoul

Amsa Haemultang

A wide open-interior with table or floor seating creates a communal dining experience as you feast on haemultang—a single soup bowl overflowing with seafood like prawn, crab, octopus and clams.

58-18 Songpa-dong; Subway line 2 to Jamsil Station, 011-82-2-413-5903

Tags: family | moderate | seafood | smart splurge

Gye Sunok Bosintang

Adventurous diners seeking an authentic Korean experience should make time for
Gye Sunok Bosintang—the best place in the city for dog soup, a
traditional dish believed to incur good luck.

Jongno Gol

Skip the Korean-style noodles and soybean stew and head straight for the
barbecued pork. Unlike most restaurants, Jongno Gol ripens the pig in a smoker
before cooking it at the table. The result is delicately textured meat with a
deep, earthy flavor.

Down the lane opposite Gwangjang Market, 011-82-2-741-4297

Tags: family | moderate | great value | bbq

Jongno Gol

Skip the Korean-style noodles and soybean stew and head straight for the
barbecued pork. Unlike most restaurants, Jongno Gol ripens the pig in a smoker
before cooking it at the table. The result is delicately textured meat with a
deep, earthy flavor.